Jewellry?
by Pink Panther Wannabe
Summary: In a romantic mood, Logan gives Max a present... ***Chapter 7 added!!!***
1. Default Chapter

Hey all! This is my first fanfic, so please take it easy...  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own them... Please don't sue me...  
  
Flowers?... Jewelry?  
  
He looked at the phone. It was so close, so simple, and yet, with it, he could bring the most complicated thing in his life to his side. Max.   
  
He thought of her sweet face. Her brown, almond-shaped eyes. Her curling, dark hair. Her smirk. Her smile...  
  
He grinned.  
  
For a few more minutes, he sat staring at the phone, just thinking and dreaming about her.  
  
Suddenly, he was jerked back into reality by that same phone he was staring at. He shook his head lightly, disentangling the webs in his mind, and answered.   
  
"Hello?' he asked cautiously.  
  
"Hey. How's the liquidation going?" Max's voice practically purred into his ear.  
  
Only for a moment, he couldn't breathe. Couldn't speak. Couldn't think. A second later, he was all right.  
  
He looked around at the barrenness of his apartment. Everything that been on the walls, was gone. A few chairs and lamps were now missing. He sighed.  
  
"Oh yeah. It's going wonderfully," sarcasm ringing through his words.  
  
"Well, I was just calling to-uh-" she paused, and he could tell she hadn't really had a reason for calling.  
  
"-To rub it in that I'm a-what was it? 'Dope?'"  
  
She chuckled. And-was that-a sigh of relief?  
  
"Of course! A genetically enhanced killing machine has got to get her laughs somewhere, right?"  
  
"Right. No actually, I'm glad you called. I was wondering if you would like to come for dinner. I don't want to think that because I'm broke, that I can't cook a culinary masterpiece for you." He could almost feel her smile.  
  
"Sure. I'll head over once I've done my last run for Normal. Or, do you want me come at a certain time? I wouldn't want to rush the chef."  
  
"It doesn't really matter. Just make sure nothing stops you from coming," he said softly.  
  
A slight pause from Max let Logan know that she had heard his tone.   
  
"How come? Some serious mission you going to send me on? Or is it-something else..." her voiced trailed off. Her X-5 worries were popping up.  
  
"Oh! No! Nothing like that," understanding her now serious tone. "It's just-well, we haven't had dinner for such a long time and I really want you come. Besides, I think I have something else for you. A surprise, let's say." His voice was mischievous again.   
  
"Well, if 'surprises' are going to be involved with a no doubt miracle dinner, I'll make sure to be there. See ya in a few hours." The dial tone was the only sound after the click.  
  
Logan hung up his phone and wheeled himself from his computer to his bedside table. He opened the second drawer. Inside the drawer were a few personal things. He moved his journal and stopped when he reached a certain picture. It was beautiful brunette woman with her arms around a little boy. Logan and his mother. After a moment's pause, he pushed the picture to the side and reached for the locket beneath it. He picked it up and watched it glisten and shine. Of course, I was slightly old fashioned, round and heavy, but her didn't really think Max would mind. She had once hinted that she liked jewelry. It wasn't a special occasion really, but he would give it to her anyway.  
  
He then looked across the room to the crate that held the exoskeleton. Clasping the locket into his palm, he smiled again.   
  



	2. 

Hey all! This is my first fanfic, so please take it easy...  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own them... Please don't sue me...  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Original Cindy looked around the Jam Pony area in disgust. Normal had been yelling at her for an hour to deliver a package, when she had clearly been brushing up her manicure. Herbal, the good man, had taken his last run and had bailed for a while. Sketchy, also ignoring Normal's orders, had decided one particular corner was rather comfortable and had taken the effortless task of snoozing there. Cindy sighed, waiting not so patiently for Max to come back from her run. She looked at the clock. An hour and twenty-three minutes. What the hell was taking her so long to deliver a damn package?  
  
Max walked leisurely into Jam Pony with a small smile on her face. She walked down the ramp, and so preoccupied with her thoughts, she passed the yelling of Normal, the small, drowsy wave of Sketchy and the "Hey, Boo," from Cindy. With her little smile and glazed over look, she headed straight to her locker, unlocked it, and started randomly rifling through her things. She paused for a moment, struck by some thought, smiled even more, and continued digging for nothing.  
  
Cindy, noticing Max's rather absent behaviour looked at Normal, who raised his eyebrows and resumed his organising and yelling. Sketchy had resumed his nap, not seeming to care that Max had flat out ignored him.   
  
Cindy walked over to Max, hands on hips, and glared at her for a few moments. Realising Max hadn't even noticed she was there, Cindy tapped her on the shoulder.  
  
"What you lookin' for, Boo?" Finally, and rather startled, Max turned and looked at Cindy, her smile still hovering about her lips. "It must be pretty important considering you've been searching in there non-stop for over five minutes."  
  
Max looked at her watch, into her locker and then at Cindy.  
  
"Sorry," she said lightly, her cheeks slightly reddening. She smiled at Cindy and returned to her rummaging.  
  
"You didn't answer my question!" Cindy saw the smile hadn't faded and the glazed look had returned. "What's up, Boo? You're acting strange." Again, there was no answer. In complete annoyance, Cindy burst out, "MAX!"  
  
Max jumped slightly and turned again. With her small outburst, Cindy had drawn the attention of everyone else in Jam Pony. Max turned around and glared at everyone.  
  
"Since when did everyone have the name of 'Max'?" Everyone continued with what they had been doing.  
  
"Max, what is wrong with you? You've been ignoring everyone here? What's up?" Cindy asked in genuine concern.  
  
"Nothing, OK? I'm just thinking about things. You make it sound like a crime to think!" She turned back to her locker to start looking again, but looked puzzled. "Do you know what I was looking for, anyway?" At the question, Cindy laughed.  
  
"Original Cindy can break it down now. The 'things' you're thinking about are Logan, Logan, Logan, right? Damn girl," as Max started to shake her head, "you cannot lie or deny that's why you have that cute little smile on your face and that off-into-space look in your eyes. What did he do to you or say to you to make you look like that?"  
  
"He didn't do anything. He just said something on the phone-something I'm thinking about, that's all." Cindy's eyes had gone up suggestively. Max made a face.  
  
"Ok, then, what did her say exactly? C'mon, Boo. Tell Original Cindy." She put her arm around Max's shoulders.  
  
"Well, he said he 'might have a surprise' or me. Tonight. Dinner. I'm trying to figure out what it might be."  
  
"I can think of a few things-"  
  
"No! I mean, other than that!"  
  
"Sorry, Boo, but could be a possibility-"  
  
"No! It could not!" Max snapped.  
  
"Fine. Then what could it be? Now you've got me puzzled." For a moment, they both thought about it.  
  
"The thing is," Max started, "if this 'surprise' is a gift, how the hell did he get the money for it? It just doesn't make any sense."  
  
"Sure it does. The man loves you and would do anything to make you smile-Oops." Cindy accidentally blurted out. The look on Max's face was utter disbelief. "I-uh-didn't mean to say that out loud." Max stared at Cindy for another moment, shut her locker and ran out of Jam Pony.  
  
"Damn. That girl's been bitten bad."  
  
  
Thanks for reading my story. I'm kind of like the DA writers, so I'm trying to take things a little bit slow. I don't want everything to end all at once... Please R&R! Thank you!!!  



	3. 

Hey all! This is my first fanfic, so please take it easy...  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own them... Please don't sue me...  
  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Only once she reached home did Max slow down. Only after she had shut the door firmly behind her did she dare to breathe normally. Only after she had a freezing shower did she think about Cindy's comment.  
  
Searching through her closet, like so many other times, she was thinking about dinner at Logan's. Unlike all the other times however, she had the uncomfortable words hanging over her head. So many questions were passing through her mind.  
  
Had Original Cindy been joking? Or was she serious? Had Logan told her? Or was it a guess? An observation? If it was true, how was she supposed to act? Did she feel the same way?  
  
She pulled out a baby blue T-shirt and a soft, mauve three-quarter length. As she debated with herself on which one to wear, the questions began again.  
  
If she did care, what was she going to say? How was she supposed to act around him? Was this going to ruin dinner? Was that the surprise?  
  
She looked at the two shirts again. She loved the baby blue, but she had worn it before to dinner. Also, the mauve was so pretty. Would Logan even notice? She doubted it. But, if he was setting up some type of surprise, and was also putting so much effort into dinner, shouldn't she put a little bit of thought as well? She shrugged. The blue was her favourite, so she'd wear it, Logan or no Logan. She pulled it on with no further ado.  
  
She walked into the bathroom and looked into the mirror. Her cheeks were flushed with colour. She put her hands on her cheeks to cool them down and then looked at the rest of her face. After she had briefly touched her hair to straighten it out somewhat, she noticed her eyes. The usually mocking chocolate brown had deepened to an almost purple. They were no longer mirthful, but filled with something else. A deep, fierce passion, which scared her. Where was it coming from? She looked away from her reflection, only to look back at it in a moment's time. She searched them for what was new. In a moment, she saw what it was. Love.  
  
She grasped the sides of the sink and looked down at her boots. She was trembling and shaking, but she knew it wasn't from a seizure. She took a deep breath and looked one more time, but with fright. The love in her eyes petrified her.  
  
  
  
  
The table was set. The candles were lit. In Max's spot were two things. Flowers. And not just any flowers. Deep, blood red roses. Twelve of them, absolutely perfect. Beside them lay a long, black velvet box. Inside lay the locket.  
  
Logan knew the roses were rather lavish, but he knew he wouldn't be able to afford them for very long.  
  
He wheeled himself to the kitchen, checking on the lamb and putting the brusechetta into the oven. Satisfied with how everything was going, he went into the living room to wait until Max arrived.  
  
It was raining softy outside. Suddenly, he felt slightly chilled. For a moment, it felt like cold fingers were resting on his spine and he shuddered superstitiously. His grandmother had once told him that if you felt fingertips on your spine, then shuddered; someone had just walked over your future grave. He shook his head. No, it was just an old wives tale.  
  
And not thinking about the strange chill again, he stared out the window, waiting for Max to come.  
  
  
  
  
Muwahahahahaha!!! Is everything taking a turn for the worse? What will they do? Chapter 4 will be coming soon...  
  



	4. 

Hey all! This is my first fanfic, so please take it easy...  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own them... Please don't sue me...  
  
Chapter 4  
  
Max looked once more in the mirror. Her eyes were strangely haunted now with her realisation. For half an hour she had stood in front of the mirror, trying to come to grips with the new emotion. She had never felt anything like it. Happiness, sadness, longing, aching-all at once, overwhelmed her. She put her hands on her chest. That was what was the most painful. The ache. The thing that scared her most however, was the fear of losing what made her feel this way. Logan. Just looking into her eyes, she had seen everything.  
  
Before, when he had been on the edge of suicide, she had slightly seen this in herself, but not quite so strongly. Admittedly, she had rushed to his apartment when she had guessed at it, but now-it was different. She couldn't quite put her finger on it-but something had switched it to so much more.   
  
For a few more minutes, she debated with herself whether she should even go to dinner at all. She was afraid to look into his eyes and see what she had been seeing so often lately. Fear. Loathing. Disappointment. She was afraid to see only camaraderie. Friendship. Suddenly, friendship wasn't enough.  
  
The thing she wanted most of all, scared her the most. The same passion in his eyes. It was frightening, but it sent excited chills through her. Maybe Original Cindy was right...  
  
But what if she wasn't right? Maybe she was just trying to play matchmaker. What if her didn't care that much-or that way? She gripped the sink tightly again and breathed deeply.  
  
But she couldn't just not go. He would get suspicious, not mention it seemed like he had put so much effort into this surprise of his. That surprise seemed so important for some reason-her mind always seemed to return to it. She shook her head. It felt like it was about to explode.  
  
She looked in the mirror for the last time and saw what she had to do. Taking one more deep breath, she smiled to herself, grabbed her jacket, and left  
  
  
  
Logan, still sitting by the window, was thinking about Max; mostly about how late she was and wondering where she could be. He looked at his watch. Seven forty-two. She had been off work since about five o'clock. Almost two hours off...  
  
He was petrified. What if she'd been hurt? What if the sector police had taken her in? What if Lydecker...? He was just about ready to jump out of his chair. He sat poised on the edge of his seat, his mind reeling with images of Max being tortured, abused and brainwashed by Lydecker. He recalled the horrible glint in Lydecker's eyes when he said, "She's not the girl next door." Again, he shuddered.  
"Max," he whispered through gritted teeth, "where are you?"  
  
  
  
Max steered through the rain soaked streets, her baby purring underneath her. It began to rain harder, and she gunned the gas. She was going to avoid being soaked at all costs.  
  
In her mind, she rehearsed what she was going to say and how she was going to say it.  
  
She seemed to get to Fogle Towers much too quickly, but she didn't hesitate as she walked into the elevator. She pressed the "PH" button, watched the doors close and knew there was no turning back.  
  
  
  
It was the worst-and yet later, he said-the best fifteen minutes of his life. His parents deaths, an alcoholic wife and bankruptcy all put together could not compare to this agony. For fifteen minutes he sat, clutching the armrests of his chair until his knuckles had gone far beyond white.   
  
As Max had had a realisation less than an hour before, Logan also had a very similar revelation. He was crazily in love. It was the image of Max's face, contorted with pain, that made him realise he could not lose her.  
  
So engrossed in his thoughts, he didn't hear his front door open, then shut softly. So obsessed by the images in his head, he didn't hear the familiar, firm tread behind him. But he most certainly heard the voice say,  
  
"Logan. We have to talk."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Authors note: Whew! I wrote that in a rush, so if you think it's crap, please tell me so. I was having a little bit of trouble and suffering an acute case of "writer's block," so if it's awful and you think I should change anything, please let me know... Any and all ideas would be welcome!!!   



	5. 

Hey all! This is my first fanfic, so please take it easy...  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own them... Please don't sue me...  
  
Chapter 5  
  
His body tensed at the sound of her voice. The emotion pumping through her words had caused her worries to intensify tenfold, but had also set his heart into overdrive.  
  
He turn himself around, careful not to upset her anymore than she already sounded.  
  
As soon as he saw her face, he knew that whatever it was that had upset her had nothing to do with Manticore. The look was so much more than that. It was something altogether different. His eyes went from lips to hair to eyes-and he knew.  
  
  
  
Max had also done the same. The attitude when she had walked in the room was fear-she could almost smell it. The absolute silence had given her a seconds worry, but still, she did not hesitate. He had to know.  
  
From behind, he looked as he always did; his hair was every which way, his legs slack in front of him, his arms at his sides. The moment he heard her voice, he straightened out completely.  
  
And, when he turned, she saw pain on his face. She had only seen pain like this when he had told her to go after their surreal kiss. The next thing she knew, their eyes had locked magically together. There, she saw the same depth she had seen in her own.  
  
For a few moments, they were lost in each other's gaze, revelling at the new emotion pulsing through them.  
  
Suddenly, Max gave in. She couldn't take standing there, her heart exposed to him. She needed to have something to protect it. She ran and landed on her knees in front of him. She knelt up and hugged him. Her arms were around his middle and her head was pressed against his chest, listening to the racing of his heart.  
  
Instantly, his arms were there, pressing her closer. Her kissed her head, her hair, and her forehead. Slowly, he moved his hands to her face and pulled it gently away from him. He looked into her eyes again, to make sure he didn't make any mistake. The love he saw there was unmistakable.  
  
Her eyes welled up with tears and they spilled down her cheeks. Logan softly kissed the spots where they stained her face. He kissed the lashes and then lips tenderly. And then, she said the words.  
  
"I love you, Logan."  
  
The words were barely spoken before he kissed her lips. His hands were tangled in her hair, pushing her closer. He deepened the kiss and she responded cautiously, unsure how to react to something so meaningful.  
  
Soon, she wasn't hesitating. She felt like she was flying, up above everything, in a sky created for only her and Logan.  
  
Moments later, both breathing heavily, they stopped, their lips still touching.  
  
"I love you Max," he whispered against her lips.   
  
And she, sitting on the floor, and he, sitting in his chair, were lost to the world around them, so enraptured with each other's love.   
  
  
  
Author's note : Whew! Short and sweet, don't you guys think? I admit it is short, but trust me, I spent so much time on this chapter... More than the rest of the chapters... Please tell me if I should continue... I probably should considering I haven't even gone near the gift and exoskeleton yet... What do you guys think? Please don't hesitate to contribute ideas! -Emily  



	6. 

Hey all! This is my first fanfic, so please take it easy...  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own them... Please don't sue me...  
  
  
Chapter 6  
  
After a little while of being lost in each other, they pulled apart because of a strange smell. Logan looked around and his eyes focused on the kitchen. The room was strangely smoky.   
  
Finally, it clicked.  
  
"My God! The brusechetta!" He looked at Max, and he could see a smile starting at the corners of her lips.  
  
"First, you don't put the oven on at all, and my chicken is ruined. Now, you leave something in too long and it burns. Really, I don't know why I come here at all."  
  
He kissed the smile off her face and waited until she finally let go before he went to try to save his kitchen.  
  
When he got there, he could see dark smoke leaking from the edge of the oven. He cautiously opened it and was overcome by a cloud of black. As he hacked and waved the smoke from his face, he struggled to get at the burning food. In a few seconds, he couldn't see and couldn't breathe.  
  
The hiss and whoosh of a fire extinguisher soon dampened the smoke somewhat. For a couple of moments, that sound was the only thing Logan could process. He was desperately trying to clear his eyes and lungs.   
  
Soon, the noise was over and he could feel short, hard pats on his back. The pats stopped and he could feel his glasses being pulled from his face. His eyes painfully opened and focused on Max's face. Even though he had manfully tried to save the situation, a smile was still present. He scrunched his nose.  
  
"What's so damn funny?" he grumpily asked.  
  
"Ahem-nothing." She tried straightening out her face, but didn't succeed.  
  
"You just think it's funny that I'm covered in soot, don't you?" He glared at her in annoyance. She didn't have a touch of dirt about her.  
  
"No." She put her hands on his face and smudged the soot. "I just think you need to wash up. I'll help you. First, we need to get this sweater off." She went to grab the bottom of his sweater, but was stopped.   
  
"Are you sure you want to do that?" his voice was low. She pulled her hands away, afraid of what the tone meant. Had she angered him? If so, how on earth--? Another look into his eyes gave her her answer.  
  
"I'm sorry," she said awkwardly.   
  
Again, they sat in silence.  
  
"Uh-how about I go get changed and you make sure dinner isn't completely ruined? Besides, I still have that surprise to give you."  
  
"The surprise! So, it is a gift!" Max's voice had a slightly childish hint to it. Her eyes had lit up at the mention of it as well, and Logan's eyebrows went up.   
  
"So, you were thinking about it?"  
  
"Yes. I've been trying to figure out what it must be all day. Can't you tell me? " Her lips stuck out in an adorable pout, so Logan thought.  
  
"No. Not yet. Just check the lamb, and I'll be back in a few minutes." And Logan wheeled out of the room.  
  
  
  
  
In his room, Logan took a deep breath. Even if their love was out in the open, they were still tiptoeing around it. Or at least he was. He just didn't want to do anything that they might regret afterwards...  
  
He changed into a navy blue T-shirt, washed himself off and rolled back into the kitchen.  
  
  
  
  
While he had been out of the room, Max had been pondering over his strange behaviour-and the surprise. She walked over to the stove, opened the pan on it, and smelled deeply. No doubt about it, the man could cook. She stuck her finger into the dark sauce. And was that-pieces of olive?  
  
Her mind drifted away from culinary miracles to love soon enough. The look in his eyes... The responding passion. And their kiss... She grabbed the counter, her knees felt so weak. The light whirr of his wheelchair came from behind. She replaced the lid.  
  
"So, are you going to tell me what this surprise is or not?"  
  
  
  
Authors Note : This is just a sort of filler chapter until I've got everything figured out in my head... It's a crazy place up there... Margaret, can I call you Margaret? Of course you can call me Em! Or whatever other variation that you can think of... It's all good... Thanks again and again for all the reviews! All will be figured out in the end... I promise!  
-Emily  



	7. 7: The Gift

Hey all! This is my first fanfic, so please take it easy...  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own them... Please don't sue me...  
  
  
Chapter 7  
  
"First, you have to sit in my lap," Logan said slyly.  
  
Max was shocked for a moment at the idea. Why? What did it have to do with? Was there some ulterior motive to it? Another smile donned her face   
  
"Sure." She carefully climbed onto him, wary of any pain she might cause him. But the, she recalled, he was numb from the waist down. "What now?"  
  
"Close your eyes. And don't peek!" He whispered into her ear. At the words, her eyes closed, but her arms wound about his neck.  
  
"I won't."  
  
"Good." He slowly pushed them out of the kitchen and into the dining room. The candles were still lit and every thing was as it should have been. Logan looked once more at her face, making sure her eyes were closed. Finding they were, he pushed them to the table and gently picked her up and placed her in her seat.  
  
At the movement, he eyes had fluttered, but his hands went over them before they could see anything.  
  
"No peeking, remember?" She nodded and he removed his hands, rolled himself to his chair and lifted himself into it. For a moment, he hesitated telling her to open her eyes, she was so beautiful with them closed. A sleeping saint, he thought. Somebody's angel. His.  
  
At her fidgeting, he knew he had to let the image in front of him go.   
  
"Open your eyes."  
  
  
  
Max opened her eyes and took in the place setting in front of her with some curiosity. Candles were lit romantically. If she counted correctly, she could see twelve perfect red roses. It was the slim black box next to them that attracted her full attention, however. She glanced questionably at Logan.  
  
"Once, you hinted that you liked flowers. Do you remember?"  
  
Oh yes. She remembered that night. The night where he could stand again. The surprise of her life. Her heart had filled with joy at seeing him standing above her. How could she ever forget the look of triumph on his face, knowing that he would be able to walk again, thanks to her? And could she ever forget the look in his eyes when he faced the prospect of not walking, yet again, thanks to her? No. She'd never forget. She shook her head slowly.   
  
"Do you remember what else you mentioned? Other than the carburettor, of course. I was rather surprised you mentioned it."  
  
Max thought back only for a moment before she recalled the words spoken.  
  
" 'Flowers?... Jewellery?'"  
  
"Jewellery?" she whispered. But, how? He was broke. It wasn't possible-was it?  
  
"Open the box and you'll see," mystery crowding his every word.  
  
She took the box into her hands and felt the soft velvet. She tentatively opened the box, and when she saw the locket, she gasped. There was Logan's mother's locket, shining in front of her.  
  
"Logan! No! I can't! She left it to you. She wanted you to have it-" Logan's hand rose to silence her.  
  
"I want you to have it. To keep. To wear. It hasn't been worn as it should have been-" a slight, bitter pause "-for a very long time. Please." His voice had a strange, pleading quality to it.   
  
She pulled it out of the box and looked at it. It had a small, winding rose across it. The chain was slightly old and the locket was a little tarnished, but with only the tiniest amount of doubt, she put it on. It was heavy, but reassuring. She could feel the love from Logan in it.  
  
"What are you going to put inside? It has two spots for pictures, you know."  
  
She opened it carefully, and saw a very small picture already in it. A little boy with crazy hair and a toothy smile.  
  
"But there's already one in it." Noticing his surprise, she took it off and handed it to him. "Didn't you look in it when you got it back?"  
  
"No, I didn't. My mother never let me when I was a kid. She always said it was a secret between her and the locket. It felt like desecration to open it." When he saw the picture, he smiled and Max saw the same grin that was in the picture.  
  
"It's you. The kid." She smiled. "You were adorable." He handed the locket back.  
  
"You mean to tell me that I'm no longer 'adorable'?" the mischievous voice was back and she caught herself winking at him.  
  
"How about I go get dinner ready?" She hopped out of the room with only one thing being said behind her.  
  
"You never answered my question!"  
  
  
Author's note: Whew! Did you ever just have one of those weekends where you have no time to do anything? Well, that's what mine has been like, so that's why only one new chapter up this weekend... Hopefully I'll have my lovely (*chuckles evilly to herself*) exoskeleton wrap up done before "Meow" is on and screws up my plans... Don't ask me questions about the creepy chills that Logan experienced, 'cause I really don't know what I should do with that... Thanks for all the reviews!!!  



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